TAMPA (Feb. 26, 2017) – For the third straight match, the USF men's tennis team competed down to the last two courts to post a 4-2 win over Pepperdine, with No. 83 Alberto Barroso-Campos clinching the match in a close third-set win.
Down by one after a close doubles point, the Bulls took their places with payback on their minds. Five out of six Bulls opened their first set with wins, and three Bulls took their match in straight sets to put USF ahead. Pepperdine trailed, 3-1, before Pedro Iamachkine posted a 6-3, 6-2 win against Justin Roberts on court two to try and close in on the Bulls.
Needing just one point to win the match, the Bulls looked to Barroso-Campos and freshman Pierre Luquet to in hopes of victory. Luquet went 6-3 in his first set, but dropped the second 6-2. Alberto Barroso-Campos topped Lautaro Pane in an easy 6-1 set, but battled in a 7-6(3) tiebreak loss before entering a third set where he would clinch the match, 6-4.
In doubles action, the Bulls played close matches, but were unable to come out on top. Pepperdine struck on court three with Lautaro Pane and Pedro Iamachkine notching a 6-3 win over veteran, freshman combo Kalyuzhnyy and Nils Heimer. Gozun and Barroso-Compos answered with a close 7-5 win on court one. Bertran and Roberts put in hard work on court two, but the Waves topped the Bulls tandem in a 7-6(2) tiebreak win to clinch the doubles point for the Waves.
Notable:
· Alberto Barroso-Campos clinched the match for USF against former coach from St. Leo University, Martin Parkes, who now works as the assistant coach for Pepperdine.
· Barroso-Campos and Kalyuzhnyy are both 5-2 in singles.
Quotable:
Head Coach Ashley Fisher on what they learned from Texas A&M…
“A lot of these matches are going to come down to the wire, and it's going to be a battle. Just knowing that every time we walk out there, and being ready for it to be your match and for it to come down to a couple of points here and there, and wanting that to happen. I told the guys yesterday to go to sleep hoping that it comes down to your match, and picturing yourself winning.”
On the freshman Pierre Luquet…
“You find out a lot about yourself when your back is against the wall, and you're coming off a tough loss, that's sort of a gut check. It was nice to see Pierre bounce back and play good tennis, and he played a really tough opponent on Friday."
On seniors Sasha Gozun and Vadym Kalyuzhnyy…
“It was nice to see Sasha get a good win, he has been up against some real high quality opponents all season long, so it was nice to see him win and win easily. Vadym has been one of the real highlights of the season, he continues to play well and lead the team. He has a lot of energy and got off the court quickly.”
Alberto Barroso-Campos on clinching the match…
“It felt really good because Friday was tough for me, and today I came into my match and played really well in my first set, but struggled a little bit in my second set and then came back in the third and got the win.”
Barroso-Campos on his mindset going into the third set…
“I thought I needed to start strong and make every ball and get more aggressive, so he couldn't take advantage of my ball.”
Up Next:
The Bulls will face Michigan State for another match at home Saturday March 4, at 2 p.m. at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts. The men's team will play alongside the women's team who will see UNF also at 2 p.m.
Results:
University of South Florida 4, Pepperdine University 2
Singles competition
1. Sasha Gozun (USF) def. Hadlich, Guilherme (PEP) 6-3, 6-2
2. Iamachkine, Pedro (PEP) def. Justin Roberts (USF) 6-3, 6-2
3. #83 Alberto Barroso (USF) def. Pane, Lautaro (PEP) 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
4. Peter Bertran (USF) def. Menichella, Stefan (PEP) 6-4, 6-4
5. Vadym Kalyuzhnyy (USF) def. Esses, Dane (PEP) 6-2, 6-1
6. Pierre Luquet (USF) vs. Van Slyke, Jack (PEP) 6-3, 2-6, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Sasha Gozun/Alberto Barroso (USF) def. Menichella/Van Slyke (PEP) 7-5
2. Hadlich /Sidney (PEP) def. Peter Bertran/Justin Roberts (USF) 7-6 (7-2)
3. Pane/Iamachkine (PEP) def. Vadym Kalyuzhnyy/Nils Heimer (USF) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,1,4,2,3)
Be sure to follow USF men's tennis on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. Head coach Ashley Fisher will begin his first year at the helm of the program for the 2017 season after serving as an assistant coach in 2016. The USF men's tennis program has won three consecutive American Athletic Conference Championships and advanced to three straight NCAA tournaments.
– #GoBulls –
